2017 NFL Draft: Los Angeles Rams Fill Need at Safety in Round 3 With John Johnson

The Los Angeles Rams used the 91st pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft to select safety John Johnson out of Boston College.

Even though the main focus surrounding the Los Angeles Rams entering the 2017 NFL Draft was arguably wide receiver and offensive line, the team still had the intention of considering the possibility of adding a safety. On Friday, the Rams helped fill the need at safety by using the 91st pick in the third round to select Boston College’s John Johnson.

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With the departure of T.J. McDonald in free agency (signed with the Miami Dolphins), Johnson will have a chance to compete for a significant amount of playing time on Wade Phillips‘ defense, and seemed like the perfect selection for Los Angeles this late in the third round. Luckily for the Rams, the team was smart enough to part ways with McDonald when considering he will miss the first eight games of the regular season due to a suspension. And even though Johnson still has a few areas in need of improvement (such as tackling), the potential is certainly there for the former Eagles safety to have an immediate impact as a rookie.

Now that Phillips is officially on board as defensive coordinator for Sean McVay‘s coaching staff, Los Angeles hopes to see their beloved unit perform at a much higher level than they did during Jeff Fisher‘s final season in 2016. The defense was one of the main reasons why expectations were high heading into last year since they played a key role in the Rams finishing 7-9 the year before, and it will be interesting to see what type of production Phillips will be able to get from his new safety in Johnson.

Next: Rams 2017 NFL Draft Grades: Round 2 and 3

With the first two days of the draft officially in the book, nobody could have predicted the moves made by the Rams in the second and third round, especially when it comes to Johnson at safety. Only time will tell when it comes to how the first three picks for Los Angeles will turn out, but fans have to be somewhat pleased with the direction they’ve taken so far in the draft.